Improvement in life-boats



P. A. KEELER, 0. UPDIKE 81.1. LUNGYEAR.

Life-Boats.

f NO 151400' Patented May 26,1874..

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Mn/a7 UNTTED SfTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

PETER A. KEELEE, onnnv UPDIKE, AND JACOB LCNCYEAE, oE GnAss LAKE,MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIFE-BCATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. llf), dated May 26,187A; applicationled January 10, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PETER A. KEELER, ORRIN UPDIKE, and JACOB LCNCYEAR,all of Grass Lake, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, haveinvented an Improvement in Life-Boats, of which the following is aspecification:

rlhis invention has for its object to provide ships, yawls, and ordinaryrow-boats with a pair of exible and expansible bustles, attached to theouter sides thereof, below the gunwales, which bustles, when inilated,will .serve to increase the buoyancy of the boat; also, where boats areiitted with such bustles, to provide metallic outriggers and fenders toprotect the said bustles.

Figure l is a perspective view of a boat itted with our improved bustlesand fenders Fig. 2 is a midship cross-sectionot the same, showing one ofthe bustles inflated. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of thein Hating-valve.

In the drawing, A represents the hull of a wooden whale-boat, to whosesides, just below the gunwale, are secured the bustles B, preferablymade of vulcanized sheet rubber. rlhese bustles are made by folding uponitself a long strip 0f rubber cloth, and cementing the edges together,as shown in Fig. 2. The bustles are secured by nailing them to thesides, the nails passing through the cemented folds. At 011e end of eachbustle, or, if preferred, in the middle, is inserted a metallic tube,a., having an inwardly-opening valve, b, by means of which the bustlemay be ini-lated by a person blowing in air through the tube, the valvepreventing its escape. Boats of the larger class may be providedwith ahand-bellows for intlatin g the bristles. The bustles, when inflated,add greatly to the buoyancy of the boat without decreasing her speedwhen under way, as they do not immerse themselves, except when aheavily-loaded boat is laboring in a seaway.

To protect the bustles from accidents in launching, or when the boat ishoisted and stowed, we secure to the plankshear and sides ot' the boat anumber of metallic fenders, c, which inclose the bustles, all thefenders being connected by a metallic Outrigger, d, whose ends aresecured to the bow and stern of the boat.

At a slight expense, any wooden yawl may thus be converted into abuoyant life-boat. Except when the boat is in use, the bristles shouldnot be inflated.

NVhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is 1 1n combination with the iiexible tube or loats B, the fender orprotecting framework, consisting of the bands c, which surround thetloats and the longitudinal continuous brace or Outrigger d, connectingthe inclosing bands together, forming a strong and rigid support for thefloats and shield or fender for the boat, substantially as described.

PETER A. KEELER. ORRIN UPDIKE. JACOB LONGYEAR. W'itnesses GEORGE Donn,B. K. ADAMS.

